Light Inside
by MewPainappuru
Summary: While on a shopping trip with the Host Club, Haruhi is separated and left wandering the mall alone. As she tries to reunite herself with her friends, she discovers something surprising about a certain member of the club.
1. Chapter 1

**_Another Ouran fic! Yay! I'm really excited because I have been wanting to write another Ouran story for such a long time, but I couldn't come up with anything. Well, this finally came to me and I'm really excited to be writing it :) _**_**I'm completely open to criticism, so please feel free to make suggestions on what I should change and how I can make this better. I live to please! Please review! I really do want to know what you think. And the sooner you review, the sooner I update! :D**_

_****_Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Highschool Host Club. All characters and awesomeness belongs to the creators._****_

_****_One

"Haruhi! Are you ready yet?" a loud voice called from outside of the door of the apartment Haruhi shared with her father. The young brunette inside the building sighed and ignored the call. She returned to the Sudoku puzzle in front of her, trying to complete on of the columns. "Haruhi! Are you alright? Does Daddy need to come in there and help you? HARUHI!"

"Go away!" Haruhi yelled back in annoyance. "I already told you that I'm not going!" She groaned as she could hear Tamaki wailing outside of her door about her refusal. As much as she enjoyed spending time with her friends from the Host Club, she was looking forward to spending the weekend alone. She had planned to catch up on her chores around the house, do some homework, and then just relax for a little bit. She wasn't up to getting involved in one of Tamaki's crazy antics.

"Haruhi, as your father, I demand that you open this door right now and let me inside! We need to talk about your behavior!" Tamaki shouted as he jiggled the doorknob, a feeble attempt to open the locked door. "We've had these plans for several days now, and I will not allow you to ruin them!"

"First of all, you're not my father," Haruhi said, rolling her eyes. "Therefore, I'm not opening the door just because you want me too. And secondly, I told you when you originally made these plans that I wasn't interested in going. That hasn't changed, Senpai. I don't want to go, so you might as well just leave now and go have fun without me."

"It's impossible to have fun without the whole family," Tamaki whined. "Please come out, Haruhi!"

"No," Haruhi replied simply, turning back to her puzzle. She heard mumbles from outside of the door, unfortunately proving that her friends still hadn't left. She sighed again and put her pen down on the table, no longer able to concentrate. She was thankful that her father was at work, otherwise she would have been forced to go with the guys.

_Do you see this, Mom?_ Haruhi thought exasperatedly. _Do you see what I have to put up with every single day? How do I get myself into these kinds of messes?_

Haruhi heard the doorknob jiggle again and was about to tell Tamaki to just give up, when a soft _click_ sounded. Haruhi turned to face the door just in time to watch it slam open. Tamaki ran into the room, followed by Hikaru and Kaoru. Mori, with Honey on his shoulders, walked in slowly behind the twins. Kyoya opted to stay standing in the doorway.

"Haruhi, there's no need to worry anymore!" Tamaki shouted in what supposed to be a reassuring voice. However, all it did was irritate Haruhi more. "Daddy is here!"

"How did you get into my house?" Haruhi demanded, standing up to face Tamaki.

"Kyoya's key," Tamaki replied, an innocent look crossing his face, as if the answer was obvious and he didn't understand why Haruhi was even asking such a question.

"Kyoya's key…?" Haruhi repeated, incredulously. She turned to look at the raven haired teen standing in her doorway. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the sliver key that he held between his index finger and his thumb.

"Naturally, your father gave it to me in case of emergencies," he said coolly, an amused smirk tugging at his lips.

"And this is what you consider an emergency?" Haruhi cried out, exasperatedly. "This is hardly an emergency, Senpai!"

Kyoya shrugged. "Tamaki relentlessly screaming my ear seems like an emergency to me. Extreme measures had to be taken, and if there had to be a victim or two along the way, then so be it."

"Victim?" Haruhi echoed, her face paling and a slight look of alarm crossing it.

"You sound like you're describing a crime scene," Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison, rolling their eyes in mock annoyance.

"Breaking into someone else's house _is_ a crime!" Haruhi said, but no one paid attention to her cries. She sighed in defeat, realizing that they weren't going to leave until she agreed to go with them. She made a mental note to talk to her father about the key he gave to Kyoya when he came home. "Let me go get my purse…" she mumbled, walking off to find it.

"Does this mean you're coming with us, Haru-chan?" Honey asked with excitement, bouncing on Mori's shoulders like a small child.

"Apparently…" Haruhi responded as she grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter and slung it over her shoulder. She returned to her friends with another sigh. "Alright, let's go…"

"Yay!" Honey, Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru cheered and the large group filed out of the apartment. Tamaki and the twins babbled about how cute Haruhi looked as they headed towards the limousine that was parked outside of the apartment building, waiting for them.

Haruhi was the last one out, and as she shut the door, she turned to Kyoya. "Would you like to lock the door, Kyoya-Senpai?" she asked sarcastically.

Kyoya smiled and shook his head. "I'll let you have the honor," he replied, causing Haruhi to roll her eyes. He patiently stood beside her as she locked the door, as if he were worried she would run back into the house and hide as soon as his back was turned. When she was ready, he led the way to the car. Before they climbed in, he let out a soft chuckle and said, "I can't believe you actually thought you were going to be able to avoid this little trip. Haven't you figured out that Tamaki _always_ gets his way?"

Haruhi groaned, realizing the truth in Kyoya's words, and slide into the limo. She sat between Honey, who was sitting on Mori's lap, and Kyoya, much to Tamaki's displeasure. The ride was about thirty minutes long, full of Tamaki and the twins arguing about who Haruhi was going to sit next to on ride back. She tried to look past Kyoya to stare out the window and occupy herself, but Kyoya had given her a strange look, thinking she was staring at him, so she didn't attempt that again. Haruhi couldn't help but let out a silent sigh of relief when they finally reached their destination, happy that they didn't have to sit in the limo any longer.

"Finally!" Tamaki exclaimed as he climbed out of the vehicle. He stretched his arms up and sighed happily. "Let the shopping begin!"

Haruhi looked up at the huge mall before her and sighed. There was a reason she didn't want come on this trip. The mall was the biggest building she had ever seen in her life. It made all the malls she had ever shopped at seen like convenience stores. And she knew that everything was going to be way too expensive for her. "What am I even doing here…?" she groaned.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! Thanks for reading!**_

**_Mew Painappuru_**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Galinda33, Thank you very much! I hope you continue to enjoy! :) Roy, I don't know what it is, but something tells me you want me to update... ;P Hehe..._**

Two

"Isn't it impressive, Haruhi?" Tamaki asked as the group of teens entered the building.

Haruhi looked around with wide eyes. She had never seen so many stores before in her life, and she'd never even heard of half of them. She had never really been the kind of person to enjoy going out shopping all the time, but she was excited just to be standing there. She felt almost giddy at the thought of being able to look in all of the stores. "Hey! That says Hitachiin!" Haruhi said, pointing to one of the stores.

"Yeah, that's where our mother sells some of her designs," Hikaru said casually.

"We'll take you in so that we can pick out some good new clothes for you, Haruhi," Kaoru added. "It _is_ the best store in the whole mall, after all."

"That's not true," Honey said matter-of-factly. "The best store is Sweets Shoppe! Haru-chan, you have to come with me so we can pick out lots of candies and cakes to eat after we're finished shopping! Takashi will take us, right Takashi?" Honey looked up at his tall cousin with large, excited eyes.

"Yeah," Mori replied monotonously.

"Haruhi! I will take you into whatever store your little heart desires!" Tamaki exclaimed. "And Daddy will buy you whatever you want because nothing makes me happier than spoiling my little girl!" Tamaki reached out to wrap his arm around Haruhi's shoulders, but Haruhi stepped out of his way, causing him to fall.

"I personally would have thought that you would be much more interested in the bookstore they have here," Kyoya said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "They have an amazing variety of books."

"Where are you going to go first, Haru-chan?" Honey asked with a questioning gaze.

"Yeah, where are you going to go, Haruhi?" the twins repeated, leaning closer to the brunette.

"Where shall Daddy take you?" Tamaki queried, leaping up from the ground.

"Where do you choose?" Kyoya inquired, opening his black book and positioning his pen above it.

"Where?" Mori said simply, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

"Ok, guys, can we not hold an interrogation in the middle of the mall, please," Haruhi said with a sigh. "I mean, does it really matter where I go first? If we just pick one store to start and then work our way around the mall, we can hit every store eventually. We have all day, so there's no need to rush." She ran her fingers through her bangs, pushing them out of her face.

"A perfect idea, Haruhi!" Tamaki exclaimed. "It's decided then! We'll start at Frills and Lace to pick out some pretty new dresses for Haruhi!" He turned to his fellow club members. "Ready men? And… Go!"

Before Haruhi could comprehend what was going on, everyone rushed off in one direction, leaving her standing in the middle of the mall, alone and confused. "Uh…" She looked around, trying to find a clue leading to where her friends had run off to, but all she could see were people hurrying from store to store. "Damn these rich bastards," she grumbled. "I guess I better start looking for them then…" Haruhi had no idea where she should start though. Having never been to this particular mall before, she didn't know where any of the stores were located. She could vaguely remember the store Tamaki mentioned having something to do with lace. Figuring that hint was better than nothing, she began wandering around the mall.

Most of the stores that she passed had expensive, high fashioned clothes that Haruhi knew she would never be able to afford. She stared at the expressionless faces of the mannequins in store windows as she walked by. In her lonely state, she couldn't help but feel a little unsettled by them. She didn't like their empty eyes staring at her, judging her because she wasn't dressed as beautifully as they were. In fact, she wasn't dressed nearly as nice as the shoppers in the mall either. And even though Haruhi was never one to care about what others thought of her appearance, she was starting to feel a bit self-conscious in her simple jeans and plain gray T-shirt. She pulled her wallet out of her purse and counted how much money she had inside. It wasn't much, but she figured that she could buy at least something small, like a new shirt, with it. She decided to keep her eyes open for anything she might like in the windows of the stores she passed.

Continuing through the mall, Haruhi happened upon a store that was blasting rock music and was lit by a few dim lights. Curious, Haruhi stepped inside to look around. The walls were lined with posters of music artists and graphic T-shirts. There were shelves full of CDs, clothes, and accessories of all sorts. As she walked through the store, she noticed one of the employees staring at her strangely, as if she didn't belong. Haruhi sighed, deciding that it was time to leave. She spun around and ran right into someone, almost falling to the floor. When she regained her balance she quickly sputtered out an apology. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there! I hope you aren't-" She stopped and her eyes grew wide when she looked up and realized who she was talking to. "Nekozawa-Senpai?" she asked in slight disbelief. "What…What are you doing here?"

"Ah… Fujioka…" Nekozawa said with a smile. "You're the last person I would expect to see in this kind of store, but then again, I suppose that's what I get for making assumptions." He shrugged indifferently. "I, on the other hand, come here all the time. I find a lot of great things for the Black Magic Club here."

"That makes sense," Haruhi said, looking around at the merchandise that was out on the shelves. "I just stopped in here out of curiosity. I'm actually looking for the others from the Host Club. Have you, by any chance, seen them walking around?"

Nekozawa shook his head. "I've been in here the whole time and I haven't seen them at all. But, if I do, I'll let them know that I saw you."

Haruhi sighed, disappointed that she had hit a dead end. "Well, thanks anyway. It was nice seeing you, Nekozawa-Senpai." She waved to him before walking out of the store and continuing her search through the mall.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! Thanks for reading!**_

**_Mew Painappuru_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chloeandderek, You would think that they would notice much sooner, wouldn't you? Well, here's when it is finally brought to their attention! Hope you enjoy! kyofan101, Tamaki always manages to make me laugh! I hope I portrayed his humor well. I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying this so far. The pairing for this story is Kyoya X Haruhi, by the way. KraZiiePyrozHaveMoreFun, Thank you! _**

Three

"The color's nice, but design itself is all wrong," Kaoru said, examining an emerald colored dress.

"It just won't flatter her body in any way," Hikaru agreed, running his fingers through his red hair. "It would look like she's just wearing a green sack."

"I think Haru-chan would look pretty in this one!" Honey chimed. He grabbed a lilac dress with a large bow on the back and spun around with it. "She would look just like a princess, don't you think, Takashi?"

Mori nodded as he pulled out a light blue dress that was made of silk. His cheeks flushed faintly as he imagined Haruhi in such a dress and he quickly returned it to the rack.

"Perhaps we'll find something better at the next store," Tamaki suggested, readjusting the stack of dresses he already had in his arms. "The clothing store right store has a lot of great outfits in it. We should shop for Haruhi's new clothes there next!"

"I hate to ruin your fun, gentlemen," Kyoya said as he pushed his glasses up his nose. He looked up at them from the little black book he was writing in and stared at his friends. "But, have you really not yet realized that Haruhi isn't with us, anymore?" He flipped the book shut and looked at the other club members with raised eyebrows. Tamaki, Kaoru, Hikaru, and Honey suddenly began running around the store as if Kyoya had said that the building was on fire. They yelled about Haruhi's absence and the possibility of her being kidnapped.

"How could she have just disappeared?" Tamaki cried out dramatically. "I'm a terrible Daddy for losing her!" He dropped to the ground and sat down, then buried his face in the pile of dresses he was holding. He continued to whine into the fabric, but his words were muffled and no one could understand what he was saying.

"What are going to do?" Kaoru added, throwing his arms around his twin. "What if we never see her again, Hikaru…?"

Hikaru placed his thumb under Kaoru's chin and tipped his head up so he could stare into his brother's eyes. "Don't say that, Kaoru," he said. "We're going to find her… I just know it…" The twins smirked when they heard a few young women, who happened to be walking by, sigh dreamily.

"Takashi…" Honey whined, looking up at his tall cousin. Tears pooled in his wide brown eyes. "Takashi… You don't think Haru-chan was kidnapped, do you?"

Mori patted Honey's head and gave him a small reassuring smile. "I'm sure she's fine," he said. Mori lifted Honey up and placed him gently on his shoulders. He then looked at Kyoya, his eyes pleading with the raven haired teen to do something.

Kyoya sighed and crossed his arms. "I suppose this means we need to go looking for her. It would probably be best if we split up and search for her in different parts of the mall. If one of us should find her, then that person will call everyone else and we'll decide on a place to meet. Understand?"

Tamaki lifted his head up and stared at his best friend, a happy smile playing at his lips. "Kyoya… You are the smartest person I have ever met in my entire life!" He carelessly threw the bunch of dresses into the air and embraced Kyoya. "Obviously, you and I will search together, right?"

Kyoya rolled his eyes and gently pushed Tamaki off of him. "Actually, I would much prefer to search for Haruhi on my own," he said. "Perhaps someone else would be willing to go with you." With that, Kyoya walked out of the store and started his search for his missing friend.

Tamaki stared at Kyoya's retreating figure until he was gone from sight. Then he turned to face the twins. "Hikaru… Kaoru…" he pouted. "Surely_ you'll_ allow me to accompany you, right?"

Hikaru and Kaoru scoffed and put their arms around each other. "Geez boss, we'd _really_ love for you to join us," Kaoru started.

"But we really work better when it's just the two of us," Hikaru finished. "Too bad… Maybe next time though!" The twins winked mischievously and walked out of the store laughing.

Tamaki turned to his last resort. "Honey-Senpai… Mori-Senpai…" he said, in a beseeching voice. His violet eyes were wide and imploring.

Honey grinned. "Oh, Tama-chan, of course you can come with me and Takashi! We'd love to have you along!"

"Really?" Tamaki cheered with excitement. "Hooray!"

"To the Sweets Shoppe!" Honey declared, pointing towards the store's exit. Mori nodded and began walking.

"Wait a minute!" Tamaki yelled, stopping his tall friend. "What do you mean to accomplish by going to the candy store?" he asked Honey.

The small boy smiled. "Well, if I was lost, I would go to the candy store to wait for someone to find me," he replied with a giggle. "I'm sure Haru-chan would do the same thing!" He gave Mori's head a gentle pat, letting him know to continue walking.

Tamaki knew that Haruhi was most likely going to be anywhere _but_ the candy store. He sighed sadly and let Mori and Honey go on without him, deciding he was just going to have to search for her himself. He wasn't sure where he should look first, though. The mall was so big that Haruhi could be anywhere. He wished that he had more people than just the Host Club looking out for her. Suddenly, an idea came to him and a huge grin spread across his face. Tamaki rushed into the craft store next door and made a few swift purchases. Then he sat down at a table in the food court and got to work.

He pulled out a box of 180 crayons and a stack of brightly colored construction paper out of the bag from the craft store. He quickly began sketching pictures of Haruhi, writing "Haruhi Fujioka: Missing!" beneath the drawings. When he finally used up the last piece of construction paper, he gathered his stack of missing posters and began passing them out to everyone he passed by in the mall.

"You know…" one young woman said, taking the poster from Tamaki, "This isn't a very good picture of who you're trying to look for." She looked up at Tamaki and her eyes widened a bit. She pointed to something behind the blonde. "Could that be her though?" she asked. "She has short brown hair just like your picture."

Tamaki spun around and his eyes landed on a petite girl with her hair cut just like Haruhi's. Tamaki's face lit up and he thanked the young woman before rushing off to catch up to Haruhi. "Haruhi!" he cried out, throwing his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. "Daddy was so worried about you. I can't believe we lost you! I'm so sorry! It will never happen again! I promise!"

"Get off of me!"  
>Tamaki jumped backwards as he was shoved. He lifted his eyes to Haruhi, just about to question why she pushed him away, when he realized that the girl standing before him wasn't Haruhi at all. Tamaki gasped, covering his mouth with his hands and his face turning red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry…" he said in a soft voice.<p>

"What the hell do you think you're doing, pervert?" the girl yelled, her blue eyes flashing with anger. "Stay away from me or I'll call security!" She hurried away, desperate to put distance between her and her "assailant". Tamaki just stood there with his mouth wide open in shock and his face bright red, watching her disappear from sight.

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! Thanks for reading!**_

**_Mew Painappuru_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Vatala Darkmist, Tamaki is an odd character... But we all love him! Don't worry! Kyoya and Haruhi will run into each other soon... JackoLillie, Thank you so very much! That really means a lot to me. Chloeandderek, I promise Kyoya will show up in the next chapter! :) KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, Haruhi probably would wait at an information booth... If she can find it! But have no fear! She'll be rescued soon! DominoTyler, Thank you! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying it! And I loved Honey's logic too! It made sense to me... Manga reader 125, I was honestly in the middle of thinking up a Renge chapter when I read your review! Great minds think alike :) Hope you enjoy! **_

Four

Haruhi was getting tired of walking around the mall with no idea where she was going. There had still been no sign of any of the other Host Club members, which left Haruhi wondering how big this mall actually was. With a sigh, she took a seat on a bench and watched the people walking past her. She hoped that she would spot a familiar face eventually. However, after a few minutes, boredom started to take over and Haruhi felt like curling up on the bench and going to sleep. However, she knew that wasn't an option, so she stood up and decided she better begin looking again. Just as she started walking away from the bench, a familiar voice called out her name. Her heart surged with hope and she spun around, hoping to be face to face with one of her friends. As she was turning, she realized something strange. The voice that had called out to her wasn't a male's…

"Haruhi! What are you doing here all alone?" Renge asked cheerfully as she approached Haruhi. Her arms were full of shopping bags, and Haruhi couldn't help but wonder how she was able to carry so much at one time.

"Renge…" Haruhi said in a surprised voice. "I'm… I'm not alone… Well, not really, I mean. I'm here with the rest of the Host Club, but we got separated. I've been trying to look for them for quite a while now."

"That's terrible!" Renge trilled, her eyes wide with sympathy. "Well, never fear! I'll help you find them! I know this mall like the back of my hand. I bet we'll be able to find them in no time!" She grabbed Haruhi's hand and began walking quickly, dragging the brunette behind her.

Haruhi stumbled slightly as Renge pulled on her hand, but quickly regained her footing and followed her. "Um… You don't really have to do this…" she said uneasily. "I'm sure I can find them sooner or later. Besides, I have a bit of an idea as to where they might be. I remember them saying something about a store with the word 'lace' in the name."

Renge stopped and looked back at Haruhi with a puzzled look. "They must have been talking about Frills and Lace, but… Why would they want to go there? It's a girl's clothing store. I can't imagine what a bunch of boys like you guys would want at a store like that."

Haruhi's eyes widened and she felt her stomach drop. She had forgotten that Renge didn't know her secret. How was she supposed to explain her way out of this one? Her mind was blank and she couldn't form any words. "Um… Renge… You see…"

Renge squealed suddenly and placed her bags on the ground. She spun around and wrapped her arms around Haruhi, hugging her tightly. "Oh Haruhi! I understand now! Everything makes perfect sense! I can't believe I didn't see it before! But now… Oh I understand perfectly!"

"Um… really?" Haruhi said, squirming slightly in her friend's embrace. "I'm sorry to have kept it from you, Renge, but I hope you realize that it was completely necessary and there wasn't really anything I could do about it."

"There's no need for you to apologize, Haruhi!" Renge replied, looking at her friend with overdramatic, teary eyes. "I wouldn't have expected you to just come out and tell me that the entire Host Club was getting together to get me a present."

"What…?" Haruhi asked incredulously and she narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "A present?"

"Of course!" Renge said with a wave of her hand. She scooped her bags up off the ground and motioned for Haruhi to follow her. "There's no other logical reason for a bunch of guys to be shopping in a girl's clothing store expect that they are buying a gift for their female friend. It's obvious that you are all trying to thank me for being such a wonderful manager for the Host Club."

Haruhi bit her lip to suppress a groan. She smacked her hand against her forehead and sighed. _At least she didn't figure out the truth… But still, this means we're actually going to have to get her a present…_

"I can't imagine why you would go to Frills and Lace to get me a gift though," Renge said, oblivious to Haruhi's exasperation. "There are some really great video game and cosplay stores in this mall. You would find a much better gift for me there. In fact, Otaku Heaven isn't far from here. Do you want to go in there and we can pick something out together? I'm sure we can also find some great cosplay for the club to do too." Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Haruhi's arm and began pulling her in the direction of the store.

"Actually, Renge," Haruhi said, trying to pull herself free. However, the other girl was surprisingly strong. "Renge… I really think I should try and find the others at Frills and Lace." Haruhi shuddered. Just saying the name of that store made her stomach churn. "But I can tell them to come and check out Otaku Heaven when I finally find them. I'm sure they won't be opposed to the idea."

"Nonsense!" Renge said, stopping at the entryway of the school and letting go of Haruhi's arm. "You and I will pick out something together and ask the person at the register to put it on hold. Then, I'll help you find the other Hosts. I'll leave and then you can tell them that you found the perfect gift and go pick it up from the store! It's a great plan! I know it sort of gets rid of the surprise effect, but I can pretend to be surprised. I'm really good at doing that. I've been doing it to Daddy for years."

Haruhi let out a defeated sigh and she nodded, following Renge into the store. She looked around in bewilderment at all the different cosplays and games that were scattered around the store. Renge darted around, looking at different things and exclaiming each time that she had found the perfect gift. Haruhi merely stood in the center of the store and watched the other girl gawk at the merchandise.

Suddenly, Renge let out an ear-piercing shriek. Haruhi jumped and quickly rushed to where her friend was to make sure everything was alright. However, she stopped when she saw Renge hugging another girl, babbling about having not seen the other person since their last anime convention. Seeing this as her only opportunity for escape, Haruhi quickly ran from the store and resumed her search for her fellow Host Club members. She hoped Renge wouldn't be too angry with her when she realized that Haruhi had left, but she couldn't stay there any longer. She made a mental note to let Kyoya know that Renge was now expecting a gift from the Host Club.

_He's not going to be happy about that… _she thought bitterly. _And I can guarantee the cost of whatever they buy her is going to be added to my debt too…_

_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! Thanks for reading!**_

**_Mew Painappuru_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_I am so sorry to everyone who has been waiting for the next chapter of this story. I've become busy with some other things and have been neglecting my writing. Hopefully, I can start concentrating on it a little more now. I hope this chapter makes up for all the waiting I've made you do. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story. It means a lot! Manga reader 125, I'm glad you liked it despite it being a little different than you pictured. Nekozawa actually appeared in chapter 2, though it was a short appearance. I would love to have Kasanoda- Bossanova xD- show up too, but I'm not sure just yet... Haruhi needs to be rescued lol. JackoLillie, Thank you very much! That means so much to me! I hope this chapter is just as good as the others. sammydalammy, Somehow, I feel like it would be just like Haruhi's luck to find everyone except who she actually wants to find. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Vatala Darkmist, Based on your last review, I think you're going to like this chapter... Hope I'm right! O_O KraZiiePyrozHavemoreFun, Yeah... And of course Kyoya will jump at the idea of adding something expensive onto Haruhi's debt xD redmystique, I'm glad you're enjoying this! And your wait has finally come to an end! I hope you like it! MaxIsMe, This isn't exactly what I would call 'soon', but I have finally updated! Enjoy! DominoTyler, Wait no longer! The suspense is over, dear reader! :) Galinda33, I can definitely picture it turning out that way as well... xD , I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! _**

Five

Haruhi was tired and irritated. She felt as if she had been wandering around the mall for hours, though her cellphone informed her that it had only been about twenty minutes. She couldn't fathom how she still hadn't managed to run into at least _one_ of the other Host Club members. She sighed wearily and ran her fingers through her short brown hair. She was just about to sit down and wait again when she noticed a particular store out of the corner of her eyes.

"The bookstore…" she gasped, her eyes growing wide. Hope surged inside of her. Kyoya had mentioned that she would like the bookstore. Maybe they would think to look in there for her. She smiled, finally feeling just a little bit optimistic, as she walked into the store. Not to mention, she loved bookstores and while she was waiting for them, she would be able to browse through the store's collection and find a few books to purchase.

An employee behind the counter smiled at Haruhi as she walked in and welcomed her to the store. Haruhi grinned and thanked the lady, making her way to the lines of shelves in front of her. She looked up at the signs above each section, trying to decide which genre she would look through first. She settled on the mystery section and slipped between two shelves, her eyes locking on the spines of the books before her. She walked down the row slowly, reading each title to find something that stood out to her.

A sudden wail startled Haruhi, causing her to jump and drop the two books she had already selected. She quickly looked around, trying to figure out where the cry had come from, but no one else around her seemed too concerned. If anything, they looked more annoyed than worried. The brunette quickly gathered up her fallen books and stepped out of the aisle, looking for whoever was crying. As she got closer to the sound, she recognized the sound to be that of a child's, which only heightened her apprehension. She rushed towards the children's section of the store, trying to look for the upset child. However, almost as soon as she arrived, the crying stopped.

Haruhi peered around a shelf and bit her lip to hold in a gasp. Standing a few feet away from her was a little girl who looked to be only about four years old. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks tears stained. She was pouting and sniveling, trying to stop crying. In front of her was a teen boy, down on one knee. He was holding one of her tiny hands in his and smiling at her warmly. He was speaking softly, trying to calm her down and keep her from sobbing once again.

"Hello there, little princess," he said gently. "Please don't cry anymore. You have such beautiful eyes and seeing them filled with tears truly breaks my heart." He used his thumb to wipe away any remaining tears on her cheeks. "Have you been separated from your mother?" The little girl nodded and the teen nodded in understanding. "I see… Well, you should probably wait for her here. I know she'll come back to this part of the store to look for you. I can stay with you so that you're not alone. Would you like that?" The girl nodded again and a small smile started to spread across her face. "Great! Can I ask what your name is, dear?"

"Airi…" she replied quietly, swaying back and forth nervously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess Airi. My name is Kyoya, and I promise that I will take care of you until your mother comes back to find you, alright?" Airi giggled and nodded her head, causing Kyoya to smile happily. "Wonderful," he said, giving her head a small pat. "Why don't you follow me? We can pick out a book to read while we wait." He stood up and offered his hand to her.

"Otay…" Airi replied, her voice much cheerful now. She wrapped her small hand around a couple of his fingers and led him to one of the bookshelves, where she started looking for a book she liked.

Haruhi could only stare at the scene before her. She never would have pictured Kyoya to be the kind of person who would be so good with children. Yet, there he was, holding the little girl's hand, helping her find the perfect book. Haruhi looked around to see if she could spot a worried mother, but had no luck. Everyone around her was focused on the books they were purchasing. No one looked like they were missing their little girl. The sound of Airi letting out a squeaky cheer brought the brunette's attention back to Kyoya and his young acquaintance.

They had clearly found a book that Airi approved of and Kyoya was looking around for a place for them to sit and enjoy it. However, not seeing any empty seats, he slid to the floor, gently leaning his back against the shelf, and pulling the little girl into his lap. She settled comfortably against him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. Kyoya gave her a small smile and then opened the book. As he read the text, his voice was soft and soothing. He used slightly different voices for each character that was introduced, which often induced giggles from Airi. He pointed to the pictures on each page, explaining what was happening and how it coincided with the words he had read. He answered all of Airi's questions with a patient, gentle tone.

Haruhi was speechless, her mouth hanging open in surprise. She was so used to Kyoya's cool, standoffish behavior that she almost couldn't believe that she was seeing the same teen care for this little girl. It didn't seem possible to her. And yet, one could almost mistake him for Airi's older brother, or even young father. A gentle tap on her shoulder made her jump and she spun around to see a woman with wide, frantic eyes. Haruhi knew exactly who she was before she even spoke.

"Excuse me," she said in a shaky voice. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but have you seen a little girl wandering around? She's five years old with long black hair. She slipped away from me when I was leaving this store and I haven't been able to find her…" There were tears in the woman's dark eyes.

"Actually, I think that's her right there," Haruhi said pointing around the bookshelf she had been observing Kyoya and Airi from. "A young man found her crying and helped calm her down until you came to find her."

The woman gave Haruhi a tearful thank you and bustled around the bookshelf, gasping with relief when she saw her daughter. Airi cried out excitedly and Haruhi could hear the mother thanking Kyoya for caring for the little girl. Airi said a sweet good bye to her new friend before she left with her mother. Haruhi let out a small sigh of relief, leaning against the shelf she had been hiding behind. She was glad that Airi and her mother were reunited.

"Haruhi…"

She jumped at the sound of her name and looked around, trying to find the person who had addressed her. However, there was no one she recognized standing beside or in front of her.

"Don't think for a minute that I didn't notice you."

Haruhi felt chills run down her spine as the voice finally registered in her mind. "Kyoya-Senpai…" she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear her. She figured he must be leaning against the other side of the shelf, since his voice seemed to be coming from behind her.

"We just happened to run into each in here by chance, alright?" he said, his voice low and serious. He was making it _very _clear that she was not to address the scene she had just witnessed. "We bumped into each other and now I'm taking you back to everyone else, do you understand?"

"Y…Yes, Senpai…" Haruhi stammered nervously. It was amazing how quickly Kyoya had gone from a concerned teen, caring for a lost little girl, to the Shadow King. But she wasn't about to argue with him. She closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath. When she opened them again, Kyoya was at her side, staring stright ahead.

"Let's go then," he said distantly and he began walking toward the store's exit. He took out his cellphone and began calling the other Hosts, letting them know that she had been found. Haruhi let out a small sigh before slowly following behind him.

**_Once again, I'm very sorry it took so long for me to update. I appreciate all of your support though. I hope this chapter came out alright! _**_**I'm really interested in what you have to say and what you think will happen. Also, suggestions are always welcome! Please, tell me what you think! The more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! Thanks for reading!**_

**_Mew Painappuru_**


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